The community of Stettler came together in a fun-filled evening of hockey as they took on the Critters to fundraise for Stettler Elementary School (SES) programs, on Thursday, Oct. 8.
With over 700 tickets sold, the fundraiser was "successful" according to the SES council, which was responsible for organizing and hosting the event.
The evening raised a total of $11,600, which will go towards 'technology in the school' and 'leader in me' programs.
According to the organizing committee, the SES parent council wanted to focus on these two programs as "training is very expensive, so every dollar helps."
The leader in me is a school-wide program that focuses on the seven habits to create leadership skills for kids of all ages.
"The seven habits focus on responsibility, teamwork and many more key elements," said Sarah Payne, one of the SES council members. "This program has many training opportunities for the staff that come at a high cost, so the parents who attended meetings last year wanted this program to be one of the main focuses for the council support."
The evening started with Chloe Shingoose's soulful rendition of 'O Canada', which was followed by the puck drop as the Stettler team was cheered on by a packed audience, including students who had come with decorated signs to cheer on their favourite teachers who were on the team.
"It was amazing to see the stands filled with families, young people, seniors and people from out of town," said Jerilyne Cronk Raab, one of the SES council members.
The puck toss raised $910 for SES parents, and the Kinsmen donated an additional $1,000, with the winner being Sarah MacPherson, who was closest to the centre of the ice.
According to the organizing committee, this was the first time that SES council has hosted this event, although CFCW Critters Good Will hockey tour has been around since 1993.
Through the years they have played in hundreds of different communities, raising over $875,000 for minor sports and other charities throughout north central Alberta.